Reclosure caps



F. J. REYNOLDS RECLOSURE CAPS Feb. 21, 1967 Filed Feb. 12, 1965 @m mm W ww x wPs &

mm Nu FRANK Jkwnows HY L- M r Y L m ff 'zlm UM 1 'EYS United States Patent l 3,305,119 RECLOSURE CAPS Frank J. Reynolds, 1588 U.S.H. 130, North Brunswick, NJ. 08902 Filed Feb. 12, 1965, Ser. No. 432,336 Claims. (Cl. 215-40) This is a continuation-in-part application of my c0- pending application Serial No. 260,236 filed February 21, 1963, and now Patent No. 3,176,867.

This invention relates to novel reclosure caps for hottles, and in particular, to a reclosure cap which includes locating means for positioning a bottle lip in a body of the reclosure cap in a manner which prevents radial forces from dislodging the cap from a bottle, and including a recess portion for receiving deformable material of a resilient gasket upon the application of the reclosure cap to the bottle.

An object of this invention is to provide a novel reclosure cap including a cap body having an end wall and a depending peripheral skirt, the peripheral skirt having an inner wall defining an internal cavity adapted to tempoinadvertent or accidental removal of the reclosure cap from the bottle lip which might otherwise occur due to side or radial forces acting against the reclosure cap.

Still another object of this invention is to provide a novel bottle reclosure cap including a cap body having an end wall and a depending peripheral skirt, the peripheral skirt having an inner wall defining an internal cavity adapted to temporarily receive the-rein a bottle lip, an inwardly directed peripheral locking rib carried by the skirt in spaced relationship to the end wall, a gasket in the cap body positioned in space relationship to the locking rib, a recess in the end wall above the cavity opening toward the cavity and defining a chamber in which the gasket is temporarily deformed upon the application of the cap to a bottle, and a peripheral shoulder above the locking rib having a diameter greater than the diameter of the locking rib but less than the diameter of the inner wall to locate and accurately seat the closure cap upon the bottle lip.

A further object of this invention is the provision of a novel reclosure cap constructed in accordance with the object immediately above, and in addition, to load the gasket in shear and form the locking rib which is relatively non-resilient but readily deformable and of a diameter less than outside diameter of the bottle lip.

A further object of this invention is to provide a novel reclosure cap which includes locating means for positioning a bottle lip in a body of the reclosure cap in a manner which prevents radial forces from dislodging the cap form a bottle, and the cap including a resilient gasket includ ing means for allowing the gasket to deform in shear upon the application of the cap to a bottle and means for effecting an increase in the forces holding the cap upon a bottle in proportion to variations in internal pressure of the bottle.

Still another object of this invention is to provide a shoulder or surface 21 opposing the surface 18.

3,365,151? Patented Feb. 21, 1967 novel reclosure cap of the type just described and additionally including a relatively non-resilient but readily deformable sheet material locking rib press-fit into an internal groove of a peripheral skirt of the reclosure cap.

With'the above and other objects in view that will hereinafter appear, the nature of the invention will be more clearly understood by reference to the following detailed description, the appended claims and the several views illustrated in the accompanying drawing:

In the drawing:

FIGURE 1 is a fragmentary top perspective view of a reclosure cap constructed in accordance with this invention, and illustrates the cap seated upon and sealing a bottle.

FIGURE 2 is a fragmentary enlarged sectional view taken along line 22 of FIGURE 1, and illustrates a gasket of the reclosure cap in sealing contact with a lip of the bottle.

FIGURE 3 is a fragmentary enlarged sectional side view of the bottle lip with the reclosure cap of FIGURE 2, showing the temporary deformation of the gasket during the application of the reclosure cap to the bottle lip.

FIGURE 4 is an exploded axial sectional view of another reclosure cap constructed in accordance with the invention, and illustrates a sheet metal locking ring and self-loading gasket thereof.

A reclosure cap constructed in accordance with this invention is illustrated in FIGURES 1-3 of the drawing and is generally designated by the reference numeral 5. The cap 5 includes a cap body 6 having an end wall 7 and a peripheral skirt 8. The end wall 7 and the peripheral skirt 8 are separately formed and joined together to form the reclosure cap 5. The peripheral skirt 8 is preferably constructed from polyethylene or similar plastic material while the end wall 7 is formed from metal.

The end wall 7 of the cap 5 includes a generally planar circular central section 10 which blends gradually into a shoulder 11 terminating in a free edge 12. The central portion 10 and the shoulder 11 of the end wall 7 defines a cavity or chamber 13 which is adapted to receive material of a gasket 14 housed in the reclosure cap 5 when the same is applied to the lip L of a bottle B in the manner best illustrated in FIGURE 3 of the drawing, as will more clearly appear hereafter.

The peripheral skirt 8 of the reclosure cap 5 terminates in an upper terminal edge portion 15 which has an upper surface 16 substantially flush with an upper surface (unnumbered) of the central portion 10 of the end wall 7. A radially inwardly opening groove 17 in the upper terminal edge portion 15 of the peripheral skirt 8 is defined by a peripheral sloping surface 18, an axially shallow circumferential surface 20 and an upwardly directed The groove 17 receives and houses the free edge portion 12 of the end wall 7 in a manner clearly illustrated in the drawings.

The peripheral skirt 8 also includes an inner peripheral Wall or surface 22 immediately beneath the shoulder 21 defining a cavity 23 into which the bottle lip L is received temporarily upon the application of the reclosure cap 5 to the bottle B in the manner shown in FIGURE 3 of the drawings.

The gasket 14 is received in the cavity 23 and fully housed therein, as is shown in FIGURE 2 of the drawing. In this semi-deformed position of the gasket 14 an upper surface 24 thereof bears against a lower surface (unnumbered) of the end wall 7 adjacent the edge portion 12. The gasket 14 is annular in shape and includes an outer peripheral surface bearing against the inner peripheral wall 22 defining the cavity 23 and an inner peripheral surface 26 defining a generally circular opening (unnumbered). The gasket 14 is preferably constructed from resilient material, such as polyethylene, rubber, or similar plastic or elastomeric material.

A lowermost surface 27 of the gasket 14 is normally spaced from a shoulder 28 formed in a lower terminal edge portion 30 of the peripheral skirt 8. The shoulder 28 of the skirt 8 includes an angular annular wall or surface 31 emerging into the inner peripheral wall 22 and a peripheral wall or surface 32. The wall 32 of the shoulder 28 is generally circular and is of a diameter Slightly smaller than the diameter of the cavity 23 defined by the inner peripheral wall 22 of the skirt 8. The function of the wall 32 of the shoulder 28 is to locate the lip L of the bottle B accurately in the reclosure cap 5, as is best illustrated in FIGURE 2, and prevent radial or side forces applied against the skirt 8 from dislodging the reclosure cap 5 from its fully seated position (FIG- URE 2).

The lower terminal edge portion 30 of the cap body 6 includes a radially inwardly opening groove 33 which is substantially rectangular in outline. This groove 33 receives a locking rib or head 34 which is formed of metal or other high tensile strength material. The locking rib 34 is relatively non-resilient but is readily deformable upon being applied to the bottle B as will appear more fully hereafter. This construction of the locking rib 34 is necessary for a successful reclosure of the bottle B because an innermost rounded surface 35 of the rib 34- is of a diameter slightly less than the maximum outside or external diameter D of the lip L (FIGURE 2).

The reclosure cap 5 is seated upon the lip L of the bottle B in a manner which will be best described and understood by referring to FIGURE 3 of the drawing.

As is illustrated in FIGURE 3, the reclosure cap 5 is first tilted and a peripheral edge portion thereof is placed about a lower peripheral portion P of the lip L. This positions the locking ri-b 34 in an annular groove G beneath the lip L while the lip L is temporarily received in the cavity 23. The force required to insert the lip L in the cavity 23 causes the gasket 14 to deform temporarily and the materialthereof is urged into the chamber 13 temporarily until the cap 5 is fully seated upon thebottle B.

As was heretofore noted, the internal diameter of the locking rib 34 defined 'by'the rounded radially innermost surface 35 is less than the maximum external diameter D of the lip L. However, the positioning of the locking rib 34 in the groove G and the compression of the gasket 14 allows the reclosure cap 5 to be progressively slid downwardly over the entire periphery of the bottle lip L to the position illustrated in FIGURE 2 of the drawing. During this movement of the cap 5, the portion of the lip L bearing against the gasket 14 in FIGURE 3 bears against and is guided by the surface 31 of the shoulder 28 toward the circumferential surface 32. The lip L is thereafter urged by the gasket 14 to the position shown in FIGURE 2 with the wall 32 of the shoulder 28 confining the lip L therein. a The gasket 14 remains partially receivedin the chamber 13 (FIGURE 2) and the lower surface 27 thereof bears against the upper surface (unnumbered) of the bottle lip L, thereby effectively sealing the interior of the 'bottle B'and the contents therein to atmosphere,

It should be particularly noted that the gasket 14 which is loaded in shear bears against the lip L (FIG- URE 3) and urges the portion P into intimate engagement with the locking ri-b 34, thereby assuring that the lip L is seated within and located by the surface 32 of the shoulder 28. As is readily apparent from FIG- URE 2 of the drawing, any radial or applied forces applied to the peripheral skirt 3 which might otherwise tend to inadvertently dislodge the reclosure cap 5 from the bottle lip L are precluded from doing so by the resistance of the shoulder 28. Thus, direct radial forces applied against the peripheral skirt 8 of the cap body 6 are prevented from inadvertently causing the removal of the reclosure cap 5 from the bottle B.

It should also be particularly noted that the shearloading of the gasket 14 permits the lip L of the bottle B to be easily pushed or inserted into the cavity 23 due to the shear-loading of the gasket and the chamber 13 receiving the deformed material thereof, while further insertion of the lip L beyond the position shown in FIG- URE 3 is resisted by the increased resistance of the gasket 14.

Another reclosure cap constructed in accordance with this invention is shown in FIGURE 4 of the drawing and is generally designated by the reference numeral 55. The cap includes a cap body 56 having an end wall 57 and an integral depending peripheral skirt 58. The end wall 57 and the peripheral skirt 58 are preferably constructed from plastic material and may, for example, be injection molded, as opposed to the separately formed and united end wall 7 and skirt 8 of the reclosure cap 5 of FIGURES 1-3 of the drawing.

The end wall 57 of the cap 55 includes an interior generally planar circular central surface portion 60 which is joined by a radius portion 61 to an inner generally cylindrical surface 62 defining a cavity or chamber 63 which receives and houses a gasket 64.

The gasket 64 includes an end wall 65 and a depending peripheral skirt 66 which is relatively thicker than the end Wall 65. The peripheral skirt 66 of the gasket 64 includes an outermost cylindrical surface 67 and an innermost generally frusto-conical surface 68 converging downwardly and axially inwardly toward axis of the cap 55 as viewed in FIGURE 4 of the drawing. The surfaces 67 and 68 terminate at a lowermost terminal surface '70 of the peripheral skirt 66. The terminal surface 70 is slightly conical in cross-sectional configuration converging slightly downwardly and radially inwardly toward the axis of the cap55 from the surface 67 toward the surface 68.

The gasket 64 is preferably molded from rubber or similar elastomeric material, but can be also constructed from plastic, such as polyethylene or similar flexible polymeric material. The particular construction of the gasket 64, and particularly the surfaces 63and be described in detail hereafter.

The terminal surface 70 of the gasket 64 is normally spaced from a shoulder 78 formed in a lower terminal edge portion 80 of the peripheral skirt 58; The shoulder 78 of the skirt 58 includes an angular annular wallor surface 81 emerging into the inner peripheral wall '62 and a peripheral wall or surface 82 corresponding to the surface 32 of the reclosure cap 5 of FIGURES 1-3 of the drawing. The Wall 82 of the shoulder 78 is generally circular and is of a diameter slightly less than the diameter of the cavity 63 defined by the peripheral wall 62 of the skirt 58. The function of the wall 82 is identical to that of the wall 32 of the shoulder 28 i.e., to locate the lip L of the bottle B accurately when the latter is inserted in a reclosure cap 55 in the manner illustrated in FIG-- URE 2 relative to the cap 5 and thus prevent radial or side forces applied against the skirt 58 from dislodging the reclosure cap 55 from its fully seated position upon a bottle with which it is associated.

The lower terminal edge portion 80 of the cap body 56 includes a radially inwardly opening groove 83 into which is force-fit a sheet metal locking rib or head 84 which is formed of relatively non-resilient but readily deformable metallic material, such as stainless steel.

The dimensioning of the locking rib 84 is identical to that of the locking rib 34 and a description thereof is- 70 will considered unnecessary for a complete understanding of this invention. The locking rib 84 is generally U-shaped in cross-section and includes a peripheral radially outwardly directed leg portion 85 joined to a shorter peripheral radially outwardly directed leg portion 86 by a radius or bight portion 87 which corresponds to the innermost rounded surface 35 of the rib 34 of the reclosure cap 5. The bight portion 87 seats within the groove 83 and contacts an upper downwardly facing peripheral surface 88 partially defining the groove 83.

The reclosure cap 55 is seated upon the lip L of the bottle B in the manner heretofore described in connection with the cap 5. That is, the reclosure cap 55 is first tilted and a peripheral edge portion thereof is placed about a lower peripheral portion P of the lip L. This positions the lockidng rib 84 in an annular groove G beneath the lip L while the lip L is temporarily received in the cavity 63. The force required to insert the lip L in the cavity 63 causes the gasket skirt 66 to temporarily deform in much the same manner as the gasket 14. The cap 55 is thereafter tilted and completely seated upon the lip L of the bottle B in the manner of the cap 5 shown in FIGURE 2. In this position the slightly conical surface 70 of the peripheral skirt 66 of the gasket 64 is seated upon the uppermost surface (unnumbered) of the bottle lip L and is generally deformed to a planar position substantially normal to the cap body axis. The shoulder 78 prevents the cap 55 from being dislodged from the lip L of the bottle B in the manner described with respect to the cap 5. In addition, as fluid pressure builds up in the interior of the bottle B the pressure escapes through the open mouth thereof and acts upon the exposed surface 68 of the gasket 64 to press the gasket against the lip L of the bottle B in proportion to the amount of pressure buildup in the bottle B. That is, as the pressure increases in the bottle B the forces applied against the surface 68 are increased to more firmly seat the surface 70 against the bottle lip L and vice versa. Thus, the higher the pressure in the bottle B the tighter the gasket 64 is seated against the lip L of the bottle B. Without the converging frusto-conical configuration of the surface 68, the gasket 64 would necessarily have to be actually thicker or more greatly loaded in shear to effect comparable sealing at both low and high pressures, and the gasket 64 would necessarily have to be loaded greater at low pressures in order to hold higher pressures within the bottle B. Thus, the construction of the gasket 64 permits the reclosure cap 55 to be applied to and removed from the bottle B with less force than the reclosure cap 5 which is not provided with the particular gasket 64.

While example disclosures of a bottle reclosure cap has been disclosed herein, it is to be understood that various modifications may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of this invention as defined in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A bottle reclosure cap comprising a cap body including an end wall and a depending peripheral skirt, said peripheral skirt having an inner Wall defining an internal cavity adapted to receive therein a bottle lip, an inwardly directed fixed peripheral locking rib of a predetermined diameter carried by said skirt spaced from said end wall, said locking rib being a separate element, means securing said locking rib to said skirt, a gasket in said cap body in spaced relation to said locking rib, and peripheral locating means above the locking rib having a diameter greater than the diameter of the locking rib but less than the diameter of the inner Wall prior to the reclosure cap being fixedly attached to a bottle lip.

2. The reclosure cap of claim 1 wherein said gasket includes means for varying the sealing pressure of said gasket in dependence upon the internal pressure of a bottle upon which the cap is mounted.

3. The reclosure cap of claim 2 wherein said gasket includes a first surface converging inwardly and downwardly relative to the cap axis, said first surface defining said means for varying the sealing pressure of said gasket in dependence upon the internal pressure of a bottle upon which the cap is mounted, and said first surface terminating :at an annular sealing surface in axial spaced relationship to said locking rib.

4. A bottle reclosure cap comprising a cap body including an end wall and a depending peripheral skirt of polymeric material, said peripheral skirt having an inner wall defining an internal cavity adapted to receive therein a bottle lip, an inwardly directed fixed peripheral locking rib of a predetermined diameter carried by said skirt spaced from said end wall, said peripheral locking rib being a separate metallic element, means securing said locking rib to said skirt, a gasket in said cap body in spaced relation to said locking rib, and a peripheral shoulder above the locking rib having a diameter greater than the diameter of the locking rib but less than the diameter of the inner wall prior to the reclosure cap being fixedly attached to a bottle lip.

5. A bottle reclosure cap comprising a cap body including an end wall and a depending peripheral skirt, said peripheral skirt having an inner peripheral wall defining an internal cavity adapted to receive therein a bottle lip, an inwardly directed fixed peripheral locking rib of a predetermined diameter carried by said skirt in spaced relationship to said end wall, said rib being relatively nonresilient but readily deformable, a gasket in said cap body in spaced relation to said rib, said gasket being constructed .of resilient material, a peripheral shoulder above the locking rib having a diameter greater than the diameter of the locking rib but less than the diameter of the inner wall adapted to locate a bottle lip in the cavity and preventside forces from dislodging said cap from a bottle, said peripheral skirt including a lower terminal edge portion, a radially inwardly opening groove in said edge portion and said locking rib being received in and confined by said groove.

6. The reclosure cap as defined in claim 5 wherein said peripheral skirt is constructed from polymeric material and said locking rib is constructed of metallic material.

7. A bottle reclosure cap comprising a cap body including an end wall and a depending peripheral skirt, said peripheral skirt having an inner peripheral wall defining an internal cavity adapted to receive therein a bottle lip, an inwardly directed fixed peripheral locking rib of a predetermined diameter carried by said skirt in spaced relationship to said end wall, said rib being relatively non-resilient but readily deformable, a gasket in said cap body in spaced relation to said rib, said gasket being constructed of resilient material, a peripheral shoulder above the locking rib having a diameter greater than the diameter of the locking rib but less than the diameter of the inner wall adapted to locate a bottle lip in the cavity and prevent side forces from dislodging said cap from a bottle, said peripheral skirt including an upper terminal edge portion, a radially inwardly opening groove in said upper edge portion, and said end wall being received in said latter groove.

8. The reclosure cap as defined in claim 7 wherein said peripheral skirt is constructed from polymeric material and said end wall is constructed from metallic material.

9. A bottle reclosure cap comprising a cap body including an end wall and a depending peripheral skirt of polymeric material, said peripheral skirt having an inner wall defining an internal cavity adapted to receive therein a bottle lip, an inwardly directed peripheral metallic locking rib carried by said skirt spaced from said end wall, a gasket in said cap body in spaced relation to said locking rib, a recess in said end wall above said cavity opening toward said cavity defining a chamber into which said gasket is temporarily deformed upon the application of the cap to a bottle, and a peripheral shoulder above the locking rib having a diameter greater than the diameter of the locking ri-b but less than the diameter of the inner wall prior to the reclosure cap being fixedly attached to a bottle lip.

10. A bottle reclosure cap comprising a cap body including an end wall and a depending peripheral skirt of polymeric material, said peripheral skirt having an inner peripheral wall defining an internal cavity adapted to receive therein a bottle lip, an inwardly directed peripheral metallic locking rib carried by said skirt in spaced relationship to said end Wall, said rib being relatively nonresilient but readily deformable, a gasket in said cap body in spaced relation to said rib, said gasket being formed of resilient material, a peripheral shoulder above the locking rib having a diameter greater than the diameter of the locking rib but less than the diameter of the inner wall to locate a bottle lip in the cavity and prevent side forces from dislodging said cap from a bottle, said shoulder including an inclined face opposing said end wall,

and said end wall being recessed to define a chamber into References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 810,736 1/1906 Fenn 215-45 1,372,007 3/1921 Liarson et al 215-46 1,739,759 12/ 1929 Hothersall 22046 2,263,653 11/1941 Smith et al 21540 2,582,489 1/1952 Krueger 21538 2,647,652 8/ 195 3 Sanford 21540 2,953,272 9/1966 Mumford et al 2154-1 3,122,254 2/1964 Hagmann 215--39 FOREIGN PATENTS 506,708 10/ 1954 Canada.

JOSEPH R. LECLAIR, Primary Examiner.

J. F. MCNULTY, D. F. NORTON, Assistant Examiners. 

1. A BOTTLE RECLOSURE CAP COMPRISING A CAP BODY INCLUDING AN END WALL AND DEPENDING PERIPHERAL SKIRT, SAID PERIPHERAL SKIRT HAVING AN INNER WALL DEFINING AN INTERNAL CAVITY ADAPTED TO RECEIVE THEREIN A BOTTLE LIP, AN INWARDLY DIRECTED FIXED PERIPHERAL LOCKING RIB OF A PREDETERMINED DIAMETER CARRIED BY SAID SKIRT SPACED FROM SAID END WALL, SAID LOCKING RIB BEING A SEPARATE ELEMENT, MEANS SECURING SAID LOCKING RIB TO SAID SKIRT, A GASKET IN SAID CAP BODY IN SPACED RELATION TO SAID LOCKING RIB, AND PERIPHERAL LOCATING MEANS ABOVE THE LOCKING RIB HAVING A DIAMETER GREATER THAN THE DIAMETER OF THE LOCKING RIB BUT LESS THAN THE DIAMETER OF THE INNER WALL PRIOR TO THE RECLOSURE CAP BEING FIXEDLY ATTACHED TO A BOTTLE LIP. 